Oil-gas making



Jan. 27, 1931. NQLAN 1,790,166.

OIL GAS MAKING Filed-April 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I; IQVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 27, 1931. F, J, NOLAN 1,790,166

OIL GAS MAKING Filed April 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet? Z I ,H IEVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 27, 1 931 man sr rEs mm FRANK a. noLAn, on NEW YORK, n. Y., As sIeNoR ro "rr maiuo mnusrmns, ING, OF NEW YORK, N. in, a. oonrona'rron or anew YORK era-Gas Maxine Application filed April $8,

This invention relates to oil gas making and is herein disclosed as applied to the production of a gas from oil and water which has a high calorific value.

According to the present invention it has been found possible to produce a gas from heavy petroleum oil without residue and with the apparent absorption of a large part of the heat used in its production, so that the heat was not lost but reappeared in the flame of the burning gas when used.

To efifect this result measured quantities of oil and water are fed into a relatively short hot tube with the continuous production of the desired gas. To utilize the gasifying heat to the best advantage and to prevent a relatively cool core of gas or vapor from forming, the tube may be closed at one end, say the base, and the oil and water fed into the closed base by a central tube open at its end. Thus the entering oil and water are heated, and apparently vaporized, in the center of the gasifyin tube.

It is foun that the stack gases may have a.

temperature not exceeding 7 00 F. and that the efluent gas from the tube may have a 'temperature not exceeding 600 F., and

sometimes much lower, thus indicating a great absorption of heat in the gasifying operation. 7

It has been found that a generator may contain a number of such gas generating tubes, thus enabling a single flame to beat all the tubes. The eflluent gas may be conveyed, often substantially without cooling, to a compressor and com ressed either as gas or to a liquid into tan s or metal bottles. Alternatively it may be stored in a holder or gasometer.

The gas may be produced so as to burn with a brilliant white flame, indicating the presence of a large proportion of unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds, and such a gas may be produced while so 0 crating the proc- -'ess that there is no pro notion of tar or other material which is liquid at ordinary temperatures.

The gas produced has been found fully as effective as acetylene for metal welding and cutting, and may be stored at low or high 1927. sum No. 187,366.

pressures for weeks even in cold weather without precipitating any liquid.

Other features and advantages will here- M Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view of a cooler. F

Qil is fed to an oil gas generating retort unit 1 by a device adapted to feed measured amounts, herein shown as a force feed pump 2 driven by a suitable motor'3. The oil is delivered through a pipe connected by a double union 5 to an internal delivery pipe 6 lying within the unit 1. Water which may be preheated b flowing through a coil in the stack descri ed below, is simultaneously delivered, also in measured amounts, as by a force pump 7 through a pipe 8 connected to the union 5 so that predetermined amounts of oil and water flow down through the pipe 6 into the unit 1. Thus the water and oil are protected from the direct heat exchange with the hot products of combustion from the heating burner by gas rising in the unit 1 around the outside of the pipe 6 except for a short distance between the header and the furnace where a direct application of heat is applied.

The unit 1 is one'of several, descending from a header 9 in the upper art of a circular housing or furnace 10. he units are heated by an oil burner 11. When suitable proportions of oil and water flow into a ot unit, they are transformed completely into a gas. The heated vapors and gases rise around the pipe 6, which is held centrally in the unit by a spider 12 screwed to the lower end of the pipe 6 and having projecting arms 13. These arms serve as bafiles to mix the gas or vapor rising between them,

andthus prevent a cool core of, gas from forming remote from the hot outer wall of the unit 1.

The hot vapors or gas rise around thepipe 6 in the unit 1, entering the manifold 14 of the header 9 by which time the vapors have not shown, or it may go to a gasometer 20.

The units 1, of which four are shown have been found satisfactory .when six feet long and two inches in internal diameter, of halfinch cast heat resistant alloy, with a closed rounded end. Th' pipes 6 have been found satisfactory when made of three-quarter inch extra heavy wrought iron pipe extending down Within the units 1 to within six inches of their bottoms. The lower six inches in each unit 1 form a gas mixing space providing for the first expansion and mixing of gas and vapors.

The header 9 has been found satisfactory when made of the same metal as the units 1, and is provided with internally chamfered flan es 21 into which fit beveled collars 22 on t e tops of the units 1, the fit bein fairly close and the units being held in p ace by slightly caulking down the metal on the header. Since there is substantially no pressure in the units 1, threading them is unnecessary.

The header manifold 14 has been found satisfactory when a foot deep. The header 9 is shown as supported by projecting arms 23 which are held by bolts and rest on the walls of the fireproof housing 10. The top 24 of the header is provided with a flange 25 by which it is bolted to a prbjecting flange 26 of the header. The pipes 6 are threaded where they pass through the to 24 and are provided with flanges 27 screwe on at these points, one flange above and one below the top 24, thus firmly supporting the pipes 6 at any adjusted height within the units 1.

The oil burners 11 of a conventional t pe have been found to work satisfactorily w en entering the housing horizontally and tangentially a foot or more below the lower ends of the units 1, in a housing five feet six inches inside diameter and about ten feet hi h.

dhe products of combustion leave by a stack 28,'twelve inches in diameter provided with an asbestos rimmed damper'i29 by which it may be substantially closed or partly closed at will, thus enabling the flame to be directed nearly circumferentially around the oil gas generating retorts.

' In one run the burner was operated an hour until the temperature on a pyrometer two feet within the housing about a foot above the burner and on the side away from the flame showed 1800 F. Then an oil composed of one half 28/32 degrees B. gas oil and one half 36/42 degrees B. gas oil was 'best adapted for iron and steel cutting.

In other runs it was found that the quality of the gas could be varied, a larger proportion of oil producing a darker gas. The gas was run through the cooler which was 59 by 36 inches, but no water was present around the tubes of the cooler. In the course of the run the tem erature of the cooler rose from 74 at the eginning to 82 F. at

the'end of the hour. No liquid or solid con- 7 densed out of the gas anywhere in the system p At the end of the run, after the oil burner had been shut off the temperature within the housing at the same point was 1400 F. Higher up, near the bottom of the header, at this time, the temperature was 1370 F.

By varying the proportions gas could be obtained with either a water or an oil condensate which separated out on cooling. In one other run, four and one-half gallons of water were fed with six and one-half gallons of oil, and half a. gallon of water was condensed out. The. units 1 never clogged with tar or coke.

Gas from one run showed the following analysis:

B. t. u. per cu. ft., 900.5.

Such gas used at five pounds pressure in a burner of a well known make with oxygen at forty pounds cut through a 4% inch iron shaft in 82 seconds. The same gas with oxygen at twenty pounds cut through a 3 inch bar of inch iron in 18 seconds. It was also successfully used in other torches, as in welding together bolt heads. It was found possible to weld cast iron or steel by this gas without case-hardenin the iron or steel. The gas at three poun pressure ran a four cylinder combustion engine of a well known make very efiiciently. At a half pound pressure ;per square inch the gas burned with a very brilliant white light, and it burned well in a domestic gas cooking stove, both with and without the usual admixture of air. If desired there may be provided check valves 30, 31 for the oil and water pipes above the double unions 5.

7 Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention what I claim is:

1. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a closed furnace havin a refractory lining, a header entirely within said furnace having an oil gasifying tube depending therefrom,

said header including a gas collecting means,

said tube being closed at its lower end and open to the interior of said header at its upper end, a second tube of smaller diameter than said first-named tube connected to a source of oil and water supply and extending thru said header and terminating at a point substantially above the closed end of said first-named tube, means for heating said tube, and means for conducting the gas collected in said header from said furnace.

2. In an oil gas generating apparatus, in combination, a closed furnace havin a refractory lining, a header Within said urnace near the top thereof, a plurality of tubes depending from said header, each'of said tubes being closed at their lower ends and open to the interior of said header at their upper ends, a plurality of smaller tubes connected to a source of oil and water supply extending into said furnace and thru said header, one of said smaller tubes extending into each of said first-named tubes and terminating in the region of the closed ends thereof,

a burner located in the side of said furnace projecting a flame against the lower ends of said first-named tubes, and a conduit for conducting the gases generated in said firste named tubes from said header to a point exteriorly of said furnace.

3. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a header having an oil gasifying tube depending therefrom. said tube being closed at its lowenend and open to the interior of said header at its upper end, a smaller tube leading from a source of oil and water supply extending thru said header and interiorly of said oil gasifying tube and terminating in the vicimty of the, lower end of said oil gasifying tube, means for heating said firstnamed tube, and means for heating said smaller tube prior to its entry into said header whereby vaporization of the oil and water in said line occurs within said smaller tube,

4. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a header having a plurality of tubes depending therefrom, each of said tubes being closed at its lower end and open to the interior of said header at its upper end, a plurality of smaller tubes connected to a source of oil and. water supply and. extending thru said header, one of said smaller tubes extending well down into each of said first-named tubes and terminating near the closedend thereof, and a burner directing ,a-flame across the lower ends of said first-named tubes, said smaller tubes being exposed to the heat from said flame prior to their entry into said header. 7

5. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a header, a plurality of oil gasifying tubes de pendin from said header, each of said tubes being 0 osed at its lower end and open to the interior of said header at its upper end, a plurality of smaller tubes connected to a source of oil and water pressure supply extending thru said header, one of said tubes terminating near the closed end of each of said first-named tubes, a burner directing a flame across the lower ends of said firstnamed tubes, and means for directing a portion of ;the excess heat from said burners against said second-named tubes prior to their entry into said header.

6. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a header, an oil gasifying tube depending from saidheader, said tube being closed at its lower end and open to the interior of said 1 header at its upper end, a furnace enclosing said header and said tube and having an oil and Water line extending thru the top thereof, thru said header and into said tube, said oil and water line terminating at a point in the vicinity of the closed end of' said tube, means for maintaining said water and oil line in substantially .coaxial relation with said tube, and a burner located inthe side of said furnace directing a flame against the bottom of said tube, said furnace directing a portion of the heat rising from said burner to that portion of the oil and water line between the top of said furnace and said header.

7. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a header, a tubular member depending from said header, said member being closed at'one end and open at the other end to the interior of said header, a smaller tube extending from a point outwardly of said header through said header and longitudinally within said tubular member and terminating near the bottom thereof, means for applying direct heat to said smaller tube prior to the entry thereof into said header whereby the oil and water therein is subjected to a sudden rise of temperature, means for applying direct heating to said tubular member at the bottom thereof, wherebysaid tubular member is subjected to an indirect heating, pressure means supplying oil and gas to said tube, said last named means forcing the vapor and gas against the heated bottom of said tubular member to complete the gasification thereof.

8. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a

. ter and oil occurs within said line, means for exerting pressure on said water and oil to force the vapor and gas formed in said line a ainst the bottom of said tubular member w ereby the gasification thereof is completed, and means for collectin the gas from said tubular member exterior y of said furnace.

9. In an oil gas generatin' apparatus, a closed furnace having a close tubulartmember suspended therein, a water and oil line extending thru the top of said furnace and into said tubular member, said line terminating near the closed end of said tubular member, a burner located in said furnace direct ing a flame against said tubular member, said line being exposed to the direct heat of the products of combustion from said flame between its point of entry thru said furnace and its point of entry into'saidtu- Bular member whereby vaporization and some gasification of the water and oil occurs within said line, pressure means forcing said vapor and gas out of said line and against the said tubular member to complete the gasification thereof, and means for conducting the .gas from said tubular member exteriorly of said furnace.

10. In an oil gas generating apparatus, aclosed furnace having a closed tubular member suspended therein, an oil and water line projecting into saidfurnace and extending longitudinall of said tubular member, said line terminating in the vicinity of the lower end of said tubular member, means for maintaining said line in substantially coaxial relation with said tubular member, a burner supported in the side of said furnace directing a flame at the lower end of said tubular member, said oil and water line receiving direct heating by the products of combustion from said flame between its point of entry into said furnace and its point of entry into said tubular member whereby vaporization and some gasification of the oil and wateroccurs within said line, pressure means forcing the vaporand gas from said line into said tubular member, and conduit means leading from said tubular member exteriorly of said furnace.

11. Inan oil gas generating apparatus, a closed furnace having a closed tubular member suspended therein, an oil and water line projecting into said furnace and extendin longitudinally of said tubular member, sai

said tubular member whereby vaporizationand some gasification of the oil' and water occurs within said l ne, pressure means forcing the vapor and gas from said line into said tubular member bafiie means in said tubular member causing the tumbling of the va or and gas therein against the sides thereo to complete the gasification thereof, and 0on duit means for conducting the gas in said tubular member exteriorly of said furnace.

12. In an oil gas generating. apparatus, a closed furnace having a closed tubular member suspended therein, an oil and water line projecting into said furnace and extending longitudinally of said tubular member, said line terminating in the vicinity of the lower end of'said tubular member, means for maintaining said line in substantially coaxial relation with saidtubular member, a burner supported in the side of said furnace directing a flame at the-lower end of said tubular memher, said oil and water line receiving direct heating by the products of combustion from said flame between its point of entry into said furnace and its point of entry into said tubular member whereby vaporization and some gasification of the oil and water occurs within said line, pressure means forcing the vapor and gas from, said line into said tubular member, bafile means comprising the arms of the means maintaining said line and said tubular member coaxial, causing the tumbling of the vapor and gas against the sides of said tubular member to complete the gasification thereof, and conduit means forconducting the gases from said tubular member exteriorly of said furnace.

13. In an oil gas generating apparatus, a closed furnace having a furnace lining, a header suspended in said receptacle and havheader and indirect heating thruout its length ing 'a plurality of tubular members depending therefrom, each of said tubular members being closed at its lower end and open to the interior of said header at its upper end, a burner projecting a flame interiorly of said furnace in the region of the lower ends memiee a direct heating by the products of combustion from said flame prior to entry into said header and indirect heating thruout its len th interiorly of said header and-its respective tubular member, thereby causing vaporize; tion and a certain amount of gasificetion of the oil and Water in said line, pressure means forcing the vapor and gas from said lines end-against said tubular members to complete the gasification thereof, and means for cenducjsing the gas from said tubular members and said header to a desired point exteriorly of said furnace Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of April, A. D. 192?.

FRANK J. 1% ULAN. 

